Percentage time division multiplex for pulse code modulation



July l5, 1952 L. A. MEAcHAM PERCENTAGE TIME DIVISION `MULTIPLEX FOR PULSE CODE MDULATION 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. l, 1948 FIG. I

l I. l

cabe/e 2 CODE/i 3 (ODER J CODER 5 as ,9a

(ODER 6 mos/e r 97 CODEI? 8 CODER 9 CODER I0 FIG. 2

TIME

A2 m nl n n l 0 Y n n n? A n L A V Rnnn n A m .4 JWAASA 4 Z n e. s a En hln u A 2 l /A4 n3 n l n Ll A Wnnzn n m m GHZHV||| N U J P .w MRI! lill u 2 L.. u n n wm 2 3 4 m m. m m D M W D c c n35 nl CODER 5 CODE/i 6 CODER 7 CODER 8 CODEI? /0 v. E N M T A July 15, 1952 l.. A. MEAcHAM PERCENTAGE TIME DIVISION MULTIPLEXFOR PULSE CODE MODULATION 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. l, 1948 /NVENrO/Q L. A. MEACHAM ATTORNEY A. MEACHAM 2,603,714

PERCENTAGE TIME DIVISION MULTIPLEX FOR PULSE CODE MODULATION 5 Sheets-Sheet www wm um m mm. m

July 15, 1952 Filed Sept. l, 1948 /NVE/VTOR By L'. A. MEACHAM ATTO/DA/FV Patented July 15, 1952 PERCENTAGE TIME DIVISION MULTIPLEX FOR PULSE CODE MODULATION Larned A. Meacham, New Providence, N. J., as-

signor York to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y.,

a corporation of New Application September 1, 1948, Serial No. '47,254

8 Claims.

An advantageous code of this type is the so-called binary code in which each of the xcd number of code elements may have either of two values. One advantageous way of representing these values is to represent one by a pulse sometimes referred to as an on pulse and the other by the absence of a pulse sometimes referred to as an off pulse. Alternatively, one value may be represented by a positive pulse and the other by a negative pulse. The total number of permutations obtainable with the binary code is proportional to 2p where p is the number of code elements employed.

Because the total number of different amplitudes which may be represented by such a code ci a xed number of elements is limited, it is necessary to divide the continuous range of amplitude values of which the transmitted signal is capable into a fixed number of constituent vranges which together encompass the total range. -Each of these smaller or constituent amplitude ranges may then be treated as if it were a single amplitude instead of a rangev and is represented f by an individual one of thepermutations of the code. In the use of this method of code transmission, the instantaneous amplitude ascertained by a sampling operation is represented by the respective permutation 4indicative of the amplitude or step which most nearly approximates the amplitude of the measured sample. If, for example, the sampleamplitude is nearest to that amplitude representedV bythe ninth stepof the signal amplitude range the permutation code corresponding to range 9` is transmitted.

The binary code may. be -conveniently so organized that each' code element in'one of its values represents the presence in the sampled amplitude of a particular fixed portionof the total amplitude range, while in the other value it l represents the absence of that same portion.

The several codeelement signals or pulses may be transmitted by either frequency or time division multiplex; that is, the p elements of a code group may be transmitted consecutively over a single line or frequency channel or they may be tarnsmitted simultaneously over p different frequency channels. 5 K

When the code element signals comprising the code groups are transmitted by time division multiplex it is possible' by an extension of the time division principle to transmit groups of signals representative of several different messages over the same line or frequency channel. For this purpose it is usual to transmit code groups of pulses, each group representing a sample of one of the several messages, in succession until each message has beenrepresented once and then to repeat the cycle. This process is subject to the inherent requirement for time division transmission'that each message signal be sampled at a rate which is at least twice as high as the highest frequency component of the message which it is desired to transmit. This sets an upper limit as to the length of the interval in which one increment'of information is transmitted for each of the several messages. Thus if it is desired to transmit messages having frequency. components up to 4000 cycles per second it is necessary to sample each message at least A8000 times per second, and as a result the interval referred to above, which is sometimes known as the frame length (L) becomes 1/8000=l25 microseconds.

The limitation as to frame length indicated above does not present any great problem in the time division transmission of a relatively small number of messages by pulse codeV modulation because it is necessary only to shorten the code element pulses and to increase the operating speed of the coding and decodinginstrumentalities to a sufficient extent to allow accommodation of the necessary array of pulses within the frame. However, when it is desired to construct a multichannel system, having a capacity for a large number oi message signals, one hundred messages for example, the portion of the frame mentioned which may be allotted to the code group representing any one message becomes very short. Consequently, the coding and decoding devices are required to operate at rates" which are not easily obtained.

One solution which has been proposed to the problem of providing multichannel time division systems involves the utilization of a large number of coding devices, sometimes as/many'as one for each message signal, whichare capable of operv and the samples of the message signals are dis- `tributed yequally iamongthe coding devices. '.control circuit is providedL which 'staggers the codeeleme-ntpulses profduced by the several coding devices;-inQsiJ'h.avvaythat` adjacent code elei 30 .v rindicating the relationship of the `c'o'fieeleifnent pulses to the .allotted channel intervals for that small portion of thejdiagramy by the .dot-:dash lines therein;.

ation at only moderate rates and the provision of means for storing the code element pulses produced at such moderate rates by each coder in such a way that they may subsequently be sampled by some form of high speed distributor 5 and transmitted 'cyclically over a single oommunication channel.'

It is an object of the present invention to provide a multichannel communication system capable of the transmissionof a,v large :number of lo messages on a time division basis-iinfwhicnthe coding devices employed need becapable only of moderately high speeds. n Aj It is another object of the'- inventio'n toprovide multichannel communication" systems Yfor -the 15 transmission of a large number of messages by pulse code modulation, wherein the necessity. for the storage and subsequent sampling oi".` encoded signals is eliminated.

In accordance vvitli'` the above objects, the 20 communication system'of .the invention comprises means, forv sampling 'fthe amplitudes of a large number `of,rnessage".signals"'recurrently and in eturn. A-...plurality of coding'devices, Vfewer in number than the number of'channela'is provided 25 .ment pulses'. from ,any one of the coding devices K .are separatedin' time by code element pulses from other .coding devices. L

#rh-us, for example; `iria system of theI type contemplated by the'i'nvention, ten coding devices 35- might. be employedA to accommodate one hundred 'i message channels.' `In this'instance, eachv code element 'intervalforany'oneofthe ten -coding devices could "be s'eparatedirom the nextA code v'element interval "oijgthesame-device by van inegi() i terval which isftentimesgreater than that which couldbe providedifmessagesignal samples .were appliedconsecutively toa'single coder.

`'The above and other features'of the invention lvvill be described infdetail'in thel following speci-Iil'45 Icalzi'oiit'akenfwith the' drawings in Wh-ich,

Fig. lisa timing diagram"indicatingthe dis- Qtributon `of messages among the several coders .of a typical communicati @with unel .inventmni l on, system Ain accordance *1:50 Fig12 is a timing diagram on anincreas'edscale "ctl'igiy 1 enclosed Y 1.955 Y Fig. Suis a v.block schematic. diagram indicating thecircuit arrangement of the elements of a `communicating.systeininV accordance With the invention, vand v Fig. 4 isa block schematic diagram*indicatingeo the Varrangement of one 'form of timing circuit suitable for the controloi eitherthe transmitting or receiving portions of the communication system shown. iriFig. 3. y

.For purposes of "illustration, the timing ar= 65 Arangements and circuit Adetails Will be considered for a time divisiompulse code modulation system employing a sevenA unit binary code and capable of transmitting one hundred messages havingv y frequency components up to 4000 cycles per sec; iI0 ond. Conveniently,v and asV indicated inV Figs. 1 and 2, ten coders or `pulse coder modulators are provided to handle the one hundred message channels. The distribution of .messages among the tenv coders is shownin' Fig. 1 and 'it will 'b""75 noted that the messages are assigned consecube further noted that the time assignment for I the message channels assigned to consecutively numbered coders is such that the channel in-y tervals or.v periods are staggered in time Yby a small amount. The significance of this fact Will vbemore-apparent from a consideration of the de- A'tailed' timing :diagram of Fig.

In Figfz'the complete arrangement of possible code element pulses for a few of the one hundred:messagexchannels indicated in Fig. 1 is shown.` t Will be recognized that the actual code groups to be transmitted Will not necessarily include all of pulses since this Will depend upon f --the 'I amplitude 'of fthe message signals when sampled -Acccrdingly the pulsesfv:ofFig..2 may be considered'as defining theftimes at which -pulses may be transmittedto represent-theseven V4elements -of 'A each codegroup. #Asy indicated by the dot-dash lines oi lifat' least-portions 4ol 1 the 4"channel lintervals -or periods-fon.messages'32 throught@ are illustrated'.in`Fig.-r2. 11n Fig. 2 a channel-sampling interval and seven code ele' ment intervals are shown in the period assignedv f to each of the 'message'channels Thesampling interval represents the time-'i-nwhichasample of the amplitudelof the fmessagelsignal is obtained Aand -1 stored forf` application to thexcoding device.

The seven 'code elementJintervalsyhwhich :are

evenly distributed throughout the 4:remainder v-cf the channel period, indicatethe. times atwhich the coding-device, operatingl upon the sample obtained'during the samplingv interval; .may produce code element pulses. In'accordance with theinvention, thesampling pulses whichv initiate Ythe-coding operfationfforY each message channel." are displacedv A1in' time in such awayas-to permit interleaving-of codeeleiment pulses producedfby thefseveral coders in a common output circuit. Thus,-a"fter a message sample has been applied toandhas initiated -op- -i erationof any one coder,=a messagesampleA is apyplied bto reach ofV the 'remaining' coders inn-turn before a second message -sample-isfapplied tothe *'rst-mentioned coder. 1" 1 Taking the conditions -assuined 'above,` which "cfall `for a `100-channel'fsystem'employing ten A coders'for generating 'Tf-unit coda-and setting `an A upper limit to the frequencies-to be transmitted Aat 4000 cycles'peri second; thelframe time,-wi'th in'vvhich one 7 -unit vcode group Lmustbe trans--V mittedfor each -of thel00-` message channels,` is

' 125 microseconds and each code element interor. approximately 0.178jmicrosecond. "Since each gproduced. lSampling pulsesmust'be"applied to all ten coders in j'this 12.15. microsecond 'interval and f conveniently"y and as; shovvnV inv Fig. '212,' each sampling pulse' isf given a "duration of 1 1.25"mi'cro seconds.v AThe sampling-pulses for the ten'coders thus.' occupy s the entire 12.5l micrcsecond interval kassigned toany particular messagethek sampling pulse for the second coder being applied Simultaneously with n*the ending of thesampling pulse for the iirst coder, etc. Y Y

It will be recalled that in any message channel interval, the period remaining after the sampling pulse, is .occupied by seven evenly distributed code element intervals. During this same message' channel interval one sampling pulse is applied to each of the ten coders. The time between corresponding portions of adjacent code element intervals for any one coder is thus somewhat greater than the length of the sampling pulses. Accordingly and as indicated in Fig. 2, the rst code element interval for channel 42 'leads the'second code element interval for channel'4l, while the `first code element pulse for channel' 43 leads the second code element pulse for channel 42 by the same amount, and so forth. The code element pulses may be of rounded form, and are preferably' made V0.178 microsecond in length between the points at which their amplitude is one half of maximum, thus fully occupying their allotted 0.178 microsecond intervals. Accordingly, when the output signals from the ten coders are multipled together on a single output lead, successive code element pulses produced by the coder assigned to any particular channel are separated by seven pulses from other coders. The channel sampling pulses are not transmitted and it will be understood that in the combined signal the intervals allotted to the sampling operation of each coder are occupied by code pulses from other coders.

From a consideration of the above, it will be apparent that each of the ten coders is allowed one-tenth of the entire G-channel frame interval in which to produce a pulse code group representative of an applied message signal sample. The requirements upon the coding device are thus no more stringent than those encountered in a ten channel system. Further, it will be noted that because of the particular timing arrangement of the invention, each output pulse from each coder is accepted for transmission over the single time division channel at the moment in which'it is generated, thus eliminating any necessity for storing and distributing arrangements.

The general layout of a circuit capable of operating in accordance with the diagrams of Figs. 1 and 2, is shown in block schematic form in Fig. 3.l Here certain of the input message channels are indicated and the equipment necessary for the accommodation of these messages is illustrated. The equipment required for the remaining message input connections is identical to that shown. 4Referring to the left-hand portion of Fig. 3, three of the ten coders are indicated at C1, C2, Cio. The points at which the remaining coders would be connected being indicated at C3 through C9. A sampling circuit is associated with each of the coders, these circuits being shown at S1, Sz, and Siu respectively.

Each ofthe sampling circuits is arranged to accept ten message waves and to provide an output for application to the associated coder which output comprises successive samples of the instantaneous amplitudes of the messages present in the teninput circuits taken in turn. Each sampling circuit may for example, include ten devices of the type sometimes referred to as a two-way clamp. Such a device comprises an electronic switch capable when closed of the transmission of current in either direction between an input andzanroutput circuit and so arranged.V that when openv no current can pass between the input and the output. Sampling circuits of this type are described in detail in the Bell System Technical Journal for January 1948 at pages 26 and 27. Ordinarily one such clamp is associated with each of the input channels as shown at 3|!! vthrough 328 for sampler S1. The output circuit of each of the clamps may comprise a storage capacitor which is charged to the message wave amplitude when a particular electronic switch is closed, and which is prevented from discharging during the subsequent interval in which the switch is open. Alternatively,l the ten electronic switches of a single sampling unit may control a single storage capacitor which may form a part of the coding circuit. Timing pulses derived from a source later to be described and indicated at A1, Az, and Am, are applied to the corresponding sampling units in such fashion that messages in the several input channels are sampled in the order indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the draw- Conveniently the coding units may be of the type in which the sampled amplitude is vcompared at successive intervals with some electrical quantity which is built up step-by-step and a code pulse of one type is produced if the result of this comparison indicates that the sample is larger than the electrical quantity built up and a code pulse of the other-type produced if the comparison indicates the opposite result. One coder of this type is disclosed in the patent to J. R. Pierce 2,451,044, October 12, 1948. Such coders require the application of a control pulse for each comparison operation so that seven control pulses are required for the production of a seven unit code. Such pulses are shown in Fig. 3 as being applied at B1, B2, B10, respectively, from a source later to be described.

The output code groups from the several coding units timed as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 are multipled and applied to a transmitter T from which they are radiated.

The signals radiated from transmitter T, are picked up by receiver R and applied in parallel to ten decoders D1 through D10, corresponding to the ten coders employed at the transmitter. Conveniently decoders D1 through Dio may be of the type in which an electrical quantity as for example the charge in a capacitor corresponding to the sample amplitude which produced the code group at the transmitter is Varied in response to the code element Vpulses of the received code group. One decoder of this general class is disclosed in detail in the patent to M. M. Goodall 2,449,467, September 14, 1948. This type of decoder requires the application of a control pulse synchronized with each of the received code element pulses. The seven pulses required by the code employed herein by way of illustration are supplied from timing equipment to be described below over leads Fi through F1o respectively. It will be understood that the timing circuits at the receiving station are synchronized with those at the transmitting station, so that decoder D1 is made effective to operate upon the code groups produced by coder C1. correspondingly, the code groups produced by coder C2 are decoded by decoder D2, etc.

The output of each of the decoders will comprise a series of pulses corresponding to the amplitudes of the message wave samples for the ten channels assigned to that decoder, These pulses will occurconsecutively `andmieans Vmust `te provided for distributing-themes the output channels to whichv they correspond: 1 Such means', designated -Ei' through'Eiamay comprise one of the knownitypes of time; division distributors. As shown Within l'the blockjEieachj distributor may comprise ten gated ampliiiers,A 33!! Atl'nrough 34B', each of' which is, enabled in turn at the properV instant by timing pulses applied over leads Go;V Distributors Vof this type are disclosed' in the patent toA; Sg'Ri'ggs 2,048,081), July 2l, 1936 and the patent to A; D Blumle'in 2,172,354, lSeptember 12,Y 1939. These timingpulses are synchronized to occur at therchannel' rate so that the appropriate lsample -lamplitudepulse. is applied tothe output channelv towhichit corresponds..V

The various timing pulses. required for theoperation ,of the transmittingpand receiving equipment described above may be provided by any of a number yof known, types of` rtiming pulse. generators or pulse distributors By Way ofexample, andas shown in Fig.,- 4,y thetiming. circuit may comprise a number of gate pulse distributors of the type comprising a plurality of single tripV multivibrators connected in. tandem in such fashion that the operation of eacliis eiective totrigger thenext `inline. A tandem arrangement of trigger circuits of this type is disclosed in. the patent tol M. Hollywood 2,306,386, December 29, 1942. One-set of timing pulsesmay be.A employed to .initiate operation of the chain of single trip multivibrators and a second group of pulses, occurringvata frequency which is that multiple-ofthe in-it-atingppulsefrequency which is equal to. the number of single trip multivibrators in the chain, is-employedv accurately to terminate thesquaretop pulse produced by each singlevtrip n'iultivibrator.v Such gate pulse distributors are also disclosed in my copending application Serial Number- 646,455,1ed February 8, 1946 ;Y now. Patent No. 2,486,491,l November 1, 1949.

The timing circuits ofV Fig. 4 are arranged specifically to supply the necessary pulses for the operation of a one hundred-channel system wherein. a sevenunitfcode. and a sampling rate of 8000 samples per Secondlare employed. For this purpose, the output of a 5.6 megacycle oscillator 400 is applied to a pulse generator 402,

4which converts the, sinusoidal output ofthe oscillator vinto a; trainof rectangular pulses of the same fundamental frequency.` The; pulse output ofthe pulse .generator-is applied yto achalnof from each of the; ten distributors are Yemployed Y to'provide 'the pulse lgroup Az'and the Vsame general arrangement is A Aemployed,"for`Y each.: of i the -other groups` of pulses.

It will `:be apparent from examination ofl the timing chart .ofA Fig. 2 thatl the` repetition rate `for anyrparticular sampling-pulse; isv 8A kilocycles'per second, that, is,j theV first pulse from*v distributor 414;'for example, musi-occur once every 125 microseconds. It. .follows lthatdistributor' 434lnust produce a seriesoffoutput: pulsesV on each oir itsY -divider 412 andthe/terminating pulses for the frequency diyidinggmugltivibrators Gilt, 46,6, 408, y

.4m and 412, which operate respectively at dividproduced by the equipment shown in the right vhand l por-tion; of Fig. 4.I pulse distributors 4l4-through432- are provided.

For this; purpose ten Each-ofthesedistributors is arranged4 to produce ien: output pulses.; 'llocy initiating pulses forgthese ten distributors-areobtainedfrom still another pulse distributor 434. The first pulses from distributors 414 through 432 follow one another at intervals determinedby the timingofv distributor 434. and are employed toprovide `the group of vpulse A1y to control` the operation .of samplingy unit S1. In similar fashion the second pulses ten pulseV generators'v of 'thisL distributor are provided by alternate(half-cyclesv ofthe `output .of the 40 kilocycle persecond frequency divider M0, these alternate rhalf-.cycles being` applied over separate leads', as shown in-Fig 4 from the-pushpull output of the frequency dividing vmultivibrator.

Thek control pulses for each of, distributors 4M through'` 432 are .obtainedr in the following manner: The start. pulsesV for each of .these dis.- tributors comprise the tenseparatepulse outputs -of pulse. distributor 43.4.. while the terminate ing control pulses for the ten. sections of. distributor 414 through 432 are obtained from the alternate half-cycles of the 400 .kilocycle per second output from frequencydivider Illli.V The output pulses Ai through `Aiolfor any particular pulse generator vthus occur'at intervalsof, 1.25 micro-seconds.4

The necessary pulses forv theoperation of the coding devicesV areobtained in much-the, samev .ing pulses from each distributor'areseparated; by

intervals of 1.25 micro-seconds. 'Iv'lousfv for example, the-rst pulse from distributor-4:10pm- -cedes the second pulse from. .distributor 442- by anintervalfequal to 1.25-ll;1'7.8;=1.43l microseconds.

The pulses necessary for initiating the operation ,of distributors. 436 through .454 at intervals of c 1.25 micro-seconds are obtained; from ai pulse distributor 456 of the same general typefas those already discussed.. Startpulses forthis-distrlbutor occurring at a repetition rate` of kilocycles per secondl are obtained from frequency ldivider dell, vWhile terminatingpulsesforv the ten pulse vgenera-tenis f areobtained fromY the alternate half cyclesofthe40 kilocycle per second output of frequency .divider 4416.v The ten pulse outputs of. distributor 45S .thus-occur-at intervals of1.25

`vmicro-seconds and each. has a lrepetition period of 12.5 micro-seconds. Thesefpulsesmserve as-.the

start pulsesior the ten distributors 431i` through 454 and the. stop` pulses therefore are. obtained rfrom theoutput ofpulse generator 402 occurring at a repetition rate of 5.6 megacycles per second.

It will be recalled that the second pulse from distributor 442 follows the rst pulseV from distributor 440 by 1.43 micro-seconds, :and that similar intervals exist between pulses of successively higher order from distributors of successively high orders. Accordingly thel seven pulses of the grouplrfBi for coder Ci are obtained by taking the rst pulse 'from distributor 440, the second from 442,' the 'third from 444, the fourth from 446, and so on through the seventh pulse, which is obta'medfromdistributor 452. By virtue of similar connections, the pulses required for coder Cz through Cio may be obtained, the proper Youtputs from" the distributor for each of the groups of pulses being indicated by B1, Bz Bio, respectively. Y

The pulses required for the operation of the receiver may be obtained from a timing pulse generating circuit similar to that of Fig. 4. At the receiver, however, the circuit is driven by a 5.6 megacycle oscillator controlled as a slave by oscillator 400 at the transmitter through a suitable synchronizing system. Pulses F1, F2 through F1o correspond to pulses B1, B2, through Bin, and may be obtained in the same manner. IThe groups of pulses designated `by G1, G2, etc., are obtained from distributors 4l4 through 432, with the single exception that the-output connections must be 'switched in such fashion that the sampling pulse occurs at the end rather than the beginning of the code group to which it corresponds. Thus,`for example, the Ai output leads of distributors 414, 4I6, etc., through 432, would have to be connected respectively to gated amplifiers 348, 330, 332,334, 336, 338,340, 342, 344 and 34E. In all other respects, the timing equipment for the coder and ldecoder are identical.

What is claimedisrv 1. In a communication lsystem'for transmitting a plurality of independent 'message waves, means for recurrently sampling the amplitudes of a plurality of message jwaves in predetermined order, a plurality of-coding devices fewer in number than said message waves each arranged to produce permutation code groups of pulses representative of the amplitude of message wave samples applied thereto, means for applying said samples to said coders cyclically, and means for timing the operation of said coders to produce code groups of pulses displaced in phase relative to one another by amounts sufficient to permit interleaving of the individual code pulses.

2. In a communication system for transmitting a lplurality of independent message waves, a sampling device for each of a plurality of message waves, timing means for enabling said sampling devices recurrently and in turn, 11, coding devices where n is smaller than the number of said sampling devices, each arranged to produce code groups of p pulses representative of the amplitude of message wave samples applied thereto, connections between said sampling and coding devices for distributing said message wave samples equally among said coding devices and timing means controlling said coding devices to operate out of phase by amounts suicient to permit the interleaving between adjacent code group pulses of each coder of single pulses from each of p other coders.

3. In a communication system for transmitting a plurality of independent message waves, means for recurrently sampling the amplitudes of a plurality of message waves in turn, a plurality of coders less in number than said message waves each arranged'toproduce code groups 'of' equally spaced pulses rof equal' durationindicative of the s amplitudes of samples.'v applied thereto, means for applying said samplestosaid coders cyclically andmeansjforl timing the operation of said coders to cause the 'separation'of corresponding output pulses from coders to which samples from channels adjacent in the cyclic sampling order are applied, by intervals equal to the duration of said code group pulses multplied by one less than the number ofpulses inr each ,code group.

4. In a communication system for transmitting a plurality of independent message waves, means for recurrently samplingthe amplitudes of a plurality of waves in turn, a number of coding devices less than the number of said message waves each arranged to produce code groups of p pulses of equal pulse lengths'v'sep'arated by intervals at least equal to the length of said pulses multiplied by the number of pulses, means for applying said samplesr to said coder cy-clically and means for timing the operation of said coders to cause separation of correspondingcode groups pulses produced by each code from the pulses produced by the preceding coder in the cycle by anamount equal to the length of said code group pulses 1nuw1p11edby p+1 1 5. In av communicationslsystemfor transmitting m message waves, means for successively and recurrently sampling each of m ,message waves at time intervals L, n coding devices, n being less than m, each responsive upon receipt of a message wave sample to produce a code group of p bivalued pulses, following the initiation of a sample by an interval. of

and separated from Aother 'by intervals greater than Y m and less than Le, YL m receipt of a message Wave sample to produce al code group of p bivalued pulses representative of the amplitude of said message wave sample, said code group following the initiation of said sample by an interval of and comprising a xed number of pulses separated by intervals greater than m and less than means for distributing the m message samples equally among the n coders and an output circuit common to all of said coders.

' m Aindependent.'message"Waves, means for successively and recurrently` sampling. each of a plurality of message- Waves at time intervals L, 'n coding devices, Where.n m, each responsive upon receipt -ofa4 message sample toproduce a code group of p pulses following initiation of said sample by and being separated from .each other by intervals greaterthan e 'm andlessthan TL m representa-tive ofthe amplitude of said message wave sample,- said vpulses being of length equal to v4'L l"m20 meanslfor distributing `the m message samples equallyamong .the 'lz-coding devices and an output n circuit common to all of said coding devices.

8. In a communication system for transmitting m .message waves by time division, m'sampling devices arranged successively and recurrently to sample message m Waves at time intervals L for periods of duration said sample by and being separated from each f other by an .interval greater than and less than representative of .the amplitude .of Vsaid message wavek .samples,...said pulses .being of lengtli means'for distributing. saidml message samples equallyamong 'said coding'devices and an output common to all4 of said'codingdevices.'

REFER-miens :CITED f H `The following. references.. are' of. record'lin the le of this patent:A

UNITED .STIVTATES" PATENTS Number Name Date 2,053,749 VStaneck Sept. 8, 1936 2,365,450 Bliss Dec. 19, 1944 2,400,574 Rea May 21,' A1946 2,403,561 1 tSmith .f. July 9," 1946 2,408,077 Labin Sept. 24,1946 2,409,229 Smith Oct. 15, 1946 2,429,631 Labin` Oct. 28, 1947 2,435,840 Morton Feb. 10, 1948 2,437,707r Pierce Mar. 16, 1948 2,438,908 Goodall Apr. 6, 1948V 2,449,467 y r'G Oollall Sept. 14, 1948 2,451,044 Pierce Oct 12,1948 2,453,454 Norwine Q Nov 9, 1948 2,453,461 Schelleng Nov. 9, 1948 Y 2,464,607 Pierce Mar. 15, 1949 2,504,354 VRoschke V Apr. 18, 1950 2,549,826 Labin Apr. 24, 1951 2,551,024 Y Levy May 1, 195,1 2,559,644 lLandon July 1,0, 1951 A. tyrant;y REFERENCES An Experimental Multichannel PulsedCode Modulation System of Toll Quality, Bell System Tech. Journal, Jan... ..1948, pages '1-43.

Pulsev Codev Modmationf'Radio-craft, Feb.V

System-Terminal Equipment."

Electrical Communication, 'v01 pages 159-178. i

' LAnNEDA. MEACHAM." 

